{"id":335635,"date":"2025-08-16T06:57:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T05:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=335635"},"modified":"2025-08-16T12:54:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T11:54:31","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-august-16-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-august-16-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 August 16, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_335636\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-335636\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-335636 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cologne-Aug-9-pic-2-e1755327551911.jpg\" alt=\"MEK Supporters in Cologne Protest Executions in Iran, Urge Freedom for Political Prisoners\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cologne-Aug-9-pic-2-e1755327551911.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cologne-Aug-9-pic-2-e1755327551911-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cologne-Aug-9-pic-2-e1755327551911-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cologne-Aug-9-pic-2-e1755327551911-746x420.jpg 746w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cologne-Aug-9-pic-2-e1755327551911-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Cologne-Aug-9-pic-2-e1755327551911-696x392.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-335636\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">MEK supporters in Cologne, Germany, protest executions in Iran, urge freedom for political prisoners\u2014August 9, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong style=\"text-align: justify;\">UPDATE: 1:30 PM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran Faces Power Struggle Over Nuclear Talks Management<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-254752 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sharq-al-awsat-logo-300x74.png\" alt=\"sharq-al-awsat-logo\" width=\"300\" height=\"74\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A renewed debate is simmering in Tehran over whether Iran\u2019s nuclear file should remain under the Foreign Ministry or be returned to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), after Ali Larijani\u2019s reinstatement as the council\u2019s secretary sparked speculation of a shift in control.\u00a0Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the rumors, telling the Khabar Online news site, which is close to Larijani and had floated the possibility, that \u201cthere is currently no such plan on the agenda, and I do not think it will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">His comments appeared aimed at cooling media chatter over a redistribution of authority, fueled by Larijani\u2019s comeback and the council\u2019s historic dominance in shaping nuclear strategy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/english.aawsat.com\/features\/5175121-iran-faces-power-struggle-over-nuclear-talks-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong style=\"text-align: justify;\">UPDATE: 10:30 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pahlavi\u2019s Iran \u2018Transition Plan\u2019 Is an Invitation for Authoritarianism<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-228428 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/AmericanThinker_23102020-300x100.jpg\" alt=\"AmericanThinker_23102020\" width=\"300\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/AmericanThinker_23102020-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/AmericanThinker_23102020.jpg 689w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On August 1, 2025, Reza Pahlavi unveiled what he describes as a roadmap for Iran\u2019s future \u2014 a document allegedly crafted by experts under his supervision and disseminated through NUFDI, his promotional apparatus.\u00a0\u00a0Marketed as a post-regime transition plan, it reads less like a democratic blueprint and more like a manual for consolidating unchecked power in the hands of a single unelected figure.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the heart of the proposal lies an 18- to 36-month \u201cTransitional Period,\u201d which can be extended indefinitely.\u00a0\u00a0During this time, all branches of state authority would report to one man: the self-appointed \u201cLeader of the National Uprising,\u201d Reza Pahlavi.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The proposed \u201cTransition System\u201d comprises three entities: the National Uprising Body, the Transitional Government, and the Transitional Court \u2014 which, while superficially resembling the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, are in practice entirely subordinate to Pahlavi.\u00a0\u00a0He would appoint, oversee, and dismiss all members of these bodies at will, with no institutional constraints.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanthinker.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/pahlavi_s_transition_plan_is_an_invitation_for_authoritarianism_in_iran.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong style=\"text-align: justify;\">UPDATE: 8:00 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unmasking The Dual Tracks of Tehran\u2019s Global Terror Machine<\/h3>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" title=\"PRESS CONFERENCE: NCRI Reveals New Information on Iran Regime&amp;#039;s Terror Network\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_8FcqBvGbbls\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><div><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F8FcqBvGbbls%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8FcqBvGbbls\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT1H30M17S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-08-07T22:20:44Z\" \/><\/div><div id=\"lyte_8FcqBvGbbls\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F8FcqBvGbbls%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\" itemprop=\"name\">PRESS CONFERENCE: NCRI Reveals New Information on Iran Regime&#039;s Terror Network<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/8FcqBvGbbls\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F8FcqBvGbbls%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"PRESS CONFERENCE: NCRI Reveals New Information on Iran Regime&amp;#039;s Terror Network\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"On Thursday, August 7, 2025, the US Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US) will disclose details of the terror network of the Iranian regime and the various agencies involved in carrying out Tehran\u2019s terror plots against Iranian dissidents and foreign nationals. The information to be revealed has been recently obtained by the network of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) within the country, including from inside the regime\u2019s entities. On July 31, 2025, a joint statement was released by the governments of the United States of America and 13 other Western nations condemning the growing number of state threats from Iranian intelligence services in their respective territories.\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recent revelations from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) have exposed a chilling evolution in the Iranian regime\u2019s state-sponsored terrorism, confirming that it operates as a core instrument of state policy under the direct authority of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A detailed report released in August 2025 unmasks a newly centralized command structure and a dangerous two-pronged strategy for executing attacks on foreign soil: using official diplomats for high-value targets while outsourcing assassinations to criminal gangs to maintain plausible deniability.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/english.mojahedin.org\/article\/unmasking-the-dual-tracks-of-tehrans-global-terror-machine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Urgent Call from Manchester to Save Iranian Political Prisoners Facing Execution<\/h3>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" title=\"Urgent Call from Manchester to Save Iranian Political Prisoners Facing Execution - Aug 14, 2025\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_vbao8NayIW4\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><div><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fvbao8NayIW4%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vbao8NayIW4\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT1M28S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-08-15T06:51:17Z\" \/><\/div><div id=\"lyte_vbao8NayIW4\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fvbao8NayIW4%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\" itemprop=\"name\">Urgent Call from Manchester to Save Iranian Political Prisoners Facing Execution - Aug 14, 2025<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/vbao8NayIW4\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fvbao8NayIW4%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"Urgent Call from Manchester to Save Iranian Political Prisoners Facing Execution - Aug 14, 2025\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Manchester, UK \u2013 August 14, 2025 \u2013 The Academics in Exile Association, in solidarity with the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK), organized an exhibition and bookstall in Manchester to condemn the execution of Iranian political prisoners by the regime\u2019s ruling clerics. The event drew attention to theimminent execution of five political prisoners in Iran: Vahid Bani-Amerian, Pouya Ghobadi, Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, Mohammad Taghavi, and Babak Alipour. All five have been transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison, a notorious execution site, placing their lives in immediate danger. The organizers and participants put forward three main demands: The complete abolition of the death penalty in Iran. The immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners. International recognition of the Iranian people\u2019s right to resist tyranny.\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Manchester, UK \u2013 August 14, 2025 \u2013 The Academics in Exile Association, in solidarity with the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK), organized an exhibition and bookstall in Manchester to condemn the execution of Iranian political prisoners by the regime\u2019s ruling clerics.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/iranian-assemblies\/2025\/08\/urgent-call-from-manchester-to-save-iranian-political-prisoners-facing-execution\/77421\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian Women\u2019s Association of Australia Holds Human Rights Meeting at NSW Parliament<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-335646 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Iranian-Womens-Association-of-Australias-NSW-Parliament.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Iranian-Womens-Association-of-Australias-NSW-Parliament.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Iranian-Womens-Association-of-Australias-NSW-Parliament-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sydney, NSW \u2013 7 August 2025 \u2013 The Iranian Women\u2019s Association of Australia convened a special meeting on Thursday, August 7, at the Jubilee Room of the New South Wales Parliament to address the ongoing struggle for freedom and human rights in Iran. The event also focused on exploring ways Australia, and NSW in particular, can demonstrate meaningful solidarity and support for the Iranian people.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Representatives from the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW (ECCNSW), including three executives, attended the meeting to express their support. During the session, Amir Salem presented a motion that received unanimous backing and applause from participants.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The gathering underscored the growing commitment within the Australian community to stand with Iranians in their pursuit of justice, equality, and democratic freedoms.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"456\" data-end=\"994\"><a href=\"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/human-rights\/2025\/08\/iranian-womens-association-of-australia-holds-human-rights-meeting-at-nsw-parliament\/77410\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Families of Five Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death Expressed Concern Over Continued Lack of News About Them<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-330660 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iranian-political-prisoners-under-the-threat-of-execution-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Five political prisoners on death row in Iran, Vahid Bani Amerian, Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, and Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iranian-political-prisoners-under-the-threat-of-execution-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iranian-political-prisoners-under-the-threat-of-execution-1-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iranian-political-prisoners-under-the-threat-of-execution-1-745x420.jpg 745w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iranian-political-prisoners-under-the-threat-of-execution-1-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iranian-political-prisoners-under-the-threat-of-execution-1-696x393.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Iranian-political-prisoners-under-the-threat-of-execution-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A week after the transfer of Ali Akbar Daneshvarkar, Mohammad Taghavi, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Beni-Amerian, and Babak Alipour\u2014five political prisoners sentenced to death\u2014from Greater Tehran Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison, there has been no information about their condition. This uncertainty about their fate has caused deep concern among their families.\u00a0Judicial and security officials, along with Ghezel Hesar prison authorities, have refused to grant visits or phone calls, or to provide any answers to the families\u2019 inquiries.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/iranfocus.com\/human-rights\/55110-families-of-five-political-prisoners-sentenced-to-death-expressed-concern-over-continued-lack-of-news-about-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gorgan Bay on the Brink of Disappearance as Caspian Sea Retreat Accelerates<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-51898 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/caspian_sea-300x169.png\" alt=\"caspian_sea\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/caspian_sea-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/caspian_sea.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran\u2019s first internationally registered bay faces ecological collapse, threatening biodiversity, fisheries, and northern Iran\u2019s climate stability. Gorgan Bay, Iran\u2019s first wetland and bay to be internationally registered under the Ramsar Convention, is on the verge of drying up completely. Once a thriving aquatic ecosystem rich in biodiversity, the bay has lost much of its water due to a sharp drop in levels and extensive retreat\u2014triggering severe ecological damage and widespread loss of animal life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than eight years have passed since the formation of the Gorgan Bay Rescue Task Force, yet none of its plans have succeeded in halting the decline. Before dredging of the bay\u2019s water channels began in March 2023, around 46% of the wetland had already dried up. At the current pace, more than half of Gorgan Bay is expected to lose its water entirely in the near future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"609\" data-end=\"885\"><a href=\"https:\/\/irannewsupdate.com\/news\/general\/gorgan-bay-on-the-brink-of-disappearance-as-caspian-sea-retreat-accelerates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-august-15-2025\/\"><strong>Also, read Iran News in Brief \u2013 August 15, 2025<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS UPDATE: 1:30 PM CEST Iran Faces Power Struggle Over Nuclear Talks Management A renewed debate is simmering in Tehran over whether [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":335636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[234],"tags":[277],"class_list":{"0":"post-335635","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iran-news-in-brief-news","8":"tag-iran-news"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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